Here is a very simple story that I complicated and turned into a bullet list:
1. Asking for money requires creativity and strategy.
Last weekend I was struggling. I was struggling because I had gotten very little sleep. I am a TERRIBLE person when I’m tired. F squad, this is your warning.
I work Fridays and Saturdays in good ol Branson Missouri (if you’ve never heard of it congratulations) selling amish furniture and inspirational home decor. Again, I was tired and cranky. So lunch time rolled around and I needed Starbucks. I drove to Country Mart because the Starbucks was inside the grocery store, and on my way in the door a precious little girl in pigtails handed me a flyer. She told me she was collecting canned foods and other goods for charity. If the older man handing out flyers with the children had stopped and handed me a flyer, I might not have been so inclined to give. Old man played on people’s sympathy. Cuter children=more donations. Bravo old man.
I’m making a feeble effort to raise my World Race money in fun ways. √
2. Sometimes your life doesn’t go as planned.
So I got my venti Starbucks (for free, don’t judge me) and walked further into the store in search of peanut butter to give to the cute girl. After FINALLY finding the peanut butter and wasting my entire lunch break at Country Mart, I checked out and handed the little girl that scrumptious CREAMY Peter Pan. Don’t even think for one second I got crunchy.
Peanut butter is next to the jams and jellies at Country Mart. √
3. Every little bit helps.
I got to thinking about how many hundreds of times I’ve passed people asking for a hand. Whether it be a homeless person on the side of the road, Girl Scouts in front of Walmart, HUNDREDS OF FACEBOOK INVITES asking for my support, I never gave them a second thought.
The World Race has changed me already. I have been on the reaping side of giving, and I know that every little hand out helps. So I gave that peanut butter. I also gave to three different friends going on their own missions adventures, just a little something each.
I asked hundeds of Facebook friends to give just $11 which is not much individually but together it helped me reach my first deadline! √
4. Giving doesn’t come from a comfortable financial position but a comfortable heart.
Some people in my shoes would use my situation as a valid excuse not to give my own money because I have a mission of my own. But I feel like if I used that excuse, so could almost every other person on this planet. Majority of people are in this infinite financial struggle. Money is a hard battle. So if I said, “I can’t give right now because I’m just not in a good financial position;” everyone else could too. I am trying to come to a place where I live within my means, because if I don’t get ahold of my budget now I won’t be able to if I had a $1,000,000 salary. Just ask NFL players, 78% of whom go bankrupt just two years after retirement.
I challenge you to be generous. I am happier because of it, helping people helps yourself. Become comfortable with giving by doing it often no matter where you are at financially and you’ll find you won’t miss the money as much as if you waste it on yourself.
Giving that $4 jar of peanut butter tasted sweeter than if I would have eaten $4 worth of icecream. I LOVE ice cream. √
5. Find opportunities to invest in people.
Is this blog post inadvertently (or not so much) implanting ideas into your head to consider donating to this journey of mine? You betcha. But only if you feel inclined. I never want anyone donating to me for any other reason but direction from God out of a cheerful heart. I challenge you to mimic myself, and give a little hand out as often as you can whenever you come across a need, or a big hand out if you feel led. I personally love giving to circumstances like mine, because it is an investment. The World Race helps people around the world, but it also changes the people who embark on the journey. For those who chose to support me, not only are you impacting the world but your investing in my future.
Some people don’t understand why I am going on the World Race. Some people think it is a waste of my time and a waste of people’s money. It isn’t.
I gave to my three friends last week because I believe in them. √
Thank you for believing in me and supporting me. Whether you give $11 or $1100 I am so extremely grateful for you. I truly believe your donation will multiply in ways we can’t fathom. Thank you.
